Authorities dismantled the "Vieng Xay International Cockfighting Arena," prosecuting 196 defendants.

This is an exceptionally large-scale, transnational gambling ring, operating in the form of cockfighting, led by Dao Anh Dung and his wife, Quach Thi Hang, with total transactions exceeding 1.2 trillion VND; initially, 196 defendants have been prosecuted.

Previously, through intelligence gathering in the border area, the Criminal Police Department of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police discovered that many Vietnamese citizens were frequently crossing the border into Laos, showing suspicious signs related to gambling activities.

Through investigation and monitoring, authorities determined that this was an organized operation, operating according to a set pattern. Based on this, following the directives of the Ministry of Public Security and the Criminal Police Department, a special investigation was launched. The Thanh Hoa Provincial Police coordinated with professional units and functional forces of Laos to implement comprehensive measures, focusing on gathering evidence, clarifying the modus operandi, and identifying the role of each individual involved.

The investigation revealed that the "Vieng Xay International Cockfighting Arena" was an organized crime ring operating with sophisticated methods, a professional nature, and transnational capabilities, bringing together numerous criminals from across the country and abroad.

Although this cockfighting ring operates outside of Vietnamese territory, it is built on a large scale with the aim of attracting a large number of Vietnamese gamblers to participate. The gambling organization and participants operate in a closed system, with clear roles assigned to each individual in every aspect, from management to service.

The ringleaders of the "Vieng Xay International Cockfighting Arena" are all individuals with numerous previous convictions and criminal records. They established a fixed location, maintained regular operations, and had managers overseeing and controlling the entire gambling process.

Based on the evidence gathered, the forces developed a comprehensive plan of action. On March 26, 2026, under the direct command of Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long - Deputy Minister of Public Security, Head of the Special Investigation Steering Committee, the task forces simultaneously attacked and dismantled the entire "Vieng Xay International Cockfighting Arena," clarifying the roles of the ringleaders, organizers, and participants, thereby uncovering the entire transnational gambling ring and arresting 205 individuals.

The investigation revealed that the "Vieng Xay International Cockfighting Arena," led by Dao Anh Dung (born in 1979), residing at 03 Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Ha Dong Ward, Hanoi City, and his wife Quach Thi Hang, was organized and operated in collaboration with numerous other individuals. These individuals contributed capital in the form of shares ranging from 3% to 10% each, equivalent to between 400,000,000 VND and 1,500,000,000 VND, to construct the gambling location for Vietnamese citizens to participate in, thereby generating illicit profits.

To attract gamblers, the organizers built food courts, canteens, and numerous rest rooms within the premises to cater to the needs of those participating in the gambling. When gamblers won, the organization collected a 5% "commission" as a source of revenue to maintain operations and distributed profits according to the proportion of capital contributed. The network was organized and operated in a multi-tiered model, with specific tasks assigned to each department.

Quách Thị Hằng holds the role of overall manager, directly overseeing departments such as reception, cashier, accounting, broadcasting and commentary, security, and the canteen. Under her management is a system of hired staff to handle various specialized tasks.

According to the analysis of cash flow, in just 19 days (from January 29, 2026 until the raid), the amount collected from "protection money" was 13,024,817,000 VND. To date, the total amount of gambling transactions has been determined to be over 1,200 billion VND. Authorities seized numerous related items and documents, including: 36 cars, 186 mobile phones, various electronic devices, documents, 23 fighting roosters, 208 passports and travel documents; 205,300,000 VND in cash, and froze over 5 billion VND in related accounts.

In addition to organizing live gambling, the suspects also set up a system for recording and livestreaming on the website: “tg999.live” and the Telegram group “truonggaviengxay999” with the aim of organizing online gambling for gamblers via the Internet with the house itself.

The investigation process, which involved extracting data, identified thousands of accounts belonging to Vietnamese individuals who gambled online with the bookmaker. Specifically, it was determined that the money flow in four accounts used by the organizers from November 2025 until their arrest contained over 10,000 transactions totaling more than 150 billion VND.

To date, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Investigation Agency has initiated criminal proceedings against 196 defendants, including 60 for "Organizing gambling" and 136 for "Gambling," and has temporarily detained 147 individuals for investigation purposes.

During the expanded investigation, authorities determined that in addition to organizing and participating in gambling, the suspects also showed signs of committing "illegal detention" and "robbery." Currently, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Investigation Agency is continuing to investigate and clarify the suspects' criminal acts in order to prosecute them in accordance with Vietnamese law.

The "Vieng Xay International Cockfighting Arena" case uncovered an exceptionally large-scale, transnational gambling ring, contributing to maintaining security and order along the border. The success of the case further affirms the decisive leadership of the Ministry of Public Security and the effectiveness of coordinated efforts to combat organized crime in the current situation.

In this context, the Criminal Police force of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police plays a core role, from detecting and advising on the establishment of special cases to coordinating the fight against and dismantling criminal networks, thereby affirming their capabilities, sense of responsibility, and position as the "steel fist" in combating and suppressing all types of crime and protecting the peaceful lives of the people.